How to Protect My Sub Male Lead Dad

I looked at him with a bewildered face.

‘I guess Hart’s being considerate.’

It was the most definite way for me to be acknowledged publicly as Hart’s daughter – the “Imperial Proclamation.”

But it must have been a difficult decision for Hart, who was reluctant to face the Emperor.

I didn’t want to make him do what he disliked.

‘But I couldn’t afford to make it more complicated!’

I’ll just have to modify my plan a little.

I shook my head vigorously.

“No, I want to see Imperial Grandfather.”

Hart’s eyes narrowed.

“If you’re doing this against your will to impress me, you don’t have to.”

“No, I am not. I want to visit the palace…”

“…….”

“Hanelope wants to see the pretty castle and meet His Majesty the Emperor!”

“…….”

“It’s true! I’ve never seen anything so magnificent since I lived with Mr. Sandy and Mrs. Judy….”

I looked up at him with eager eyes.

Hart sighed again, for the umpteenth time today, and nodded.

“Okay. Then I’ll start with the procedure.”

After permission was granted, I carefully went forward with my next step.

“But if Hanelope wants to go to the palace, she has to learn. So I want to study.”

“You want to study?”

Hart looked at me as if he was wondering if I was sane.

Indeed, a child who wants to study is not normal.

“You’ll regret it.”

“Hanelope is very good at studying. I’m smart.”

“Is that so? Well, I was going to assign you a tutor anyway.”

I quickly added to his words-

“Princess! I want to learn from a Princess!”

“A Princess?”

“Yes. Hanelope has never seen a Princess before, and I want to meet one!”

Hart narrowed his eyes.

The Princess of the empire was the only surviving sibling of the current Emperor. Because of that, she was the person who received the Emperor’s favor, a strict and prickly woman.

‘I must learn from her.’

The Princess was arrogant, but she loved her nephew, Hart.

‘If Hart asks, she will come to see my face at least once.’

It’s up to me to catch the Princess’s eye.

“The Princess of the empire is not a pretty nymph from a fairy tale. Rather, she’s more like a demon. Will you be fine?”

“Yes! I can’t wait to see the Princess.”

I squealed like an immature and naive child.

Hart seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded with surprisingly ease.

“I’ll have to contact my aunt. You too…”

He said, suddenly avoiding my eyes.

“Just make sure to call me ‘Dad’ so that it doesn’t seem strange in front of others.”

Huh?

“Speak more confidently and casually than before.”

What?

‘Speaking more openly and casually than before, so that we don’t seem weird to others?’

Those two sentences are contradictory, aren’t they?

“Start practising now.”

Hart was confident to the point of shamelessness, as if he didn’t know what was wrong.

I was the one who was flustered.

“Uhmm?”

“Come on.”

Hart said sternly. I hesitantly opened my mouth.

“Da, D-ad……?”

“…….”

“Dad!”

“…….”

“Like this?”

He nodded firmly.

It was absurd that he seemed quite satisfied.

‘Why are the corners of your mouth twitching like that?’

 

***

 

“My Lady, here are your clothes for today.”

Sherry and the maids held out a yellow, tiny dress.

There was even a small, round hat that would make me look like an unfortunate chick.

My eyes widened.

“Again? Another new outfit?”

The maids burst out laughing, as if they thought I was cute.

After the incident with the boutique, Hart ordered custom-made clothes for me elsewhere.

The clothes were well-designed and comfortable to wear.

The problem was that he ordered too many pieces.

‘Besides, they’re only palm-sized.’

How can I wear something so small?

These things are for babies.

I puffed out my cheeks, but Sherry held them up to my body and jumped with joy.

“It fits you perfectly! The custom designs suit you so much!”

It was true….

‘My body, it’s still palm-sized….’

It was a shocking reality.

The maids, on the other hand, were already giddy at the thought of dressing me up as a small chick.

They seemed to get a kick out of dressing me up everyday.

Sherry said with a smile on her face.

“You’ll wear a new outfit tomorrow and the day after that.”

“But it’s so much… It will be hard on Dad if I spend so much money….”

I made a serious face and sighed.

The maids burst into another round of laughter as I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists like a ball.

“The master has enough money to burst his pockets, so don’t worry.”

“So master’s pocket will be intact only if you spend the money.”

Oh?

‘You mean he has that much money?’

Although he was a Prince but he was not favored. I thought he would only have enough to maintain his dignity.

‘I guess Hart had a knack for making money.’

He must have also spent a fortune helping Asta.

While I was relieved, the maids swiftly hanged the dress in front of me.

“My Lady, let’s try on your new clothes. I think they’ll look really good on you.”

The maids cajoled me. They couldn’t wait to dress myself as a chick. Like an obedient child I nodded.

I stayed calm so that they find it easier to dress me.

I was already seven years old, so I could dress by myself. Standing still was a piece of cake.

The maids were delighted to see me lift my arms and legs.

They were proud-

“It’s done. You did so well Miss!”

“You had a hard time getting dressed, Young Lady!”

Just for dressing, I was applauded and praised.

Embarrassed, I covered my cheeks.

“I’m seven years old, I can get dressed. And Sherry, Carrie and Maria helped me put on, and I was just standing there….”

“Oh my God! Are you feeling shy Young Lady?”

“You’re cute. Just like a chick.”

But it backfired.

The hearts in their eyes shone even more fiercely.

‘I might have inherited good genes, but the maids didn’t cheer just because I’m cute.’

The other day when the designers from Bichon’s boutique came, the maids had left me alone. I was the one who saved the maids from being punished for it.

‘I think they all started treating me more attentively from then.’

It wasn’t just that.

The maids even made a grandiose version of the incident and spread it around the mansion.

“You don’t know how elegant the young lady was who comforted us saying, ‘Now it’s okay. His Highness the Prince punished them, so you can rest assured’…”

“The young lady, who told us to express our gratitude to His Highness the Prince, was overflowing with dignity that was not commensurate with her age.”

Among the servants, I became a baby hero for saving the maids.

‘It’s burdensome, but since it turned out like this, I have to hit the nail on the head.’

I took out three glass bottles with a determined face.

“What is this, miss?”

“Is that candy inside?”

“Is the yellow one lemon flavored?”

I shook my head firmly.

“It’s a present. Nutritional supplement candy! Hanelope likes Sherry and Carrie and Maria, so I want you to be healthy!”

I handed them each a cute little glass jar, tied with a ribbon.

The maids were overwhelmed with excitement.

“Is this just for us? Not for others?”

“I’m touched, miss. Not long ago, you gave us ointment for sore muscles.”

“Thank you for being so nice to Hanelope. You must continue to love me!”

The maids looked at me with tearful expressions.

One of them, Sherry, was clasping her hands tightly.

I walked over and offered her my head.

She hesitated, then carefully stroked my hair.

“It feels so good to have Sherry stroke my head.”

“From me, really?”

“Yeah. Do it often!”

“I’ll do it as much as you like.”

After stroking her hair, Sherry said.

“Miss, your new nanny will be here soon, and she says she’ll take care of you all the time from now on.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but even when she comes, you will still like us, won’t you?”

I hugged Sherry with a bashful smile.

“Of course!”

 

***

 

I was standing in front of Hart’s office.

After lunch, I had free time.

It was my time to run around the mansion, to play, to lock myself in my little lab, and no one would disturb me.

But lately, I’ve been using this time waiting for Hart.

I’d end up alone anyway.

‘Why did he make an office when he’s not here every time I visit? Is it just for appearances?’

I thought as I opened the door to the office.

It wasn’t until later that I realized that the air in the office was different than usual.

“!”

In the office, the usually empty conference table was filled with men I didn’t recognize.

‘These people are…!’

They were clearly vassals of the Prince and Duke, Hart.

And he was sitting at the head of the table.

An ominous premonition slapped me in the back of the head.

‘Is this a meeting?!’

Apparently, I was a child who had barged into a meeting of adults.

“A-ha, ha.. I came into the wrong room…..”

I never intended to interrupt the adults.

I was about to slip out very naturally, saying so with my whole body.

I heard Hart’s nonchalant voice.

“What are you doing standing there?”

My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

‘What am I going to do? I’m going to get in trouble!’

Even Hart, who is very tolerant of children, would be annoyed if I interrupted the meeting.

‘Should I ask for forgiveness saying I was wrong?’

That’s the classic solution.

I clasped my hands together politely and turned around, ready to beg.

“I was wrong- “

“Come in.”

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

‘Come in’ instead of ‘get out’?

“What are you doing, come and sit down.”

As I stood there dumbfounded, Hart patted the seat next to him.

There was a highchair there.

There was even a footrest next to it that looked just right for a kid like me to climb on.

‘I-Is that a seat for me?’

I nervously walked over, but couldn’t quite get onto the chair.

Hart glared at me as I hesitated, then sighed.

Then he scooped me up and made me sit.

My heart was pounding, but now it was skipping a beat.

“You’re always sleeping on the couch in a bad position, and it’s going to hurt your back.”

Did he see me sleeping?

“From now on, you can sit here and when you get tired, you can go to your room and sleep.”

With that, Hart resumed the meeting.

“Then we’ll move on to the next item on the agenda.”

“But you still haven’t decided on a response to the ‘Crimson Ears Bulletin’.”

“I think there is an insider. Every time His Highness goes out in private, there will be an article.”

“It’s not the first time these bastards have written articles maligning His Imperial Highness. We must protest strongly….”

“Enough.”

Hart cut off the words like a knife.

The vassals fell silent at the icy command.

I felt my heart sink.

‘Hart scared me.’

Did he always look like that?

A chilling gaze, as if he was born and raised in snow.

As I stared at him in a daze, suddenly I snapped out of it.

“Wait a minute…《 Crimson Ears Bulletin 》?